Cinematography is an art form that can be as bold as a gong crashing after a moment of silence, or as subtle as the tide coming in. It is something that elevates a film to the heights of accolade or turns a film into a frustrating mess when it misfires.

While at the heart of cinematography is the Director of Photography or Cinematographer, to get something from the script to the final shot takes a whole team of professionals, and it is their talent that we champion today.

So without further ado, these are the moments of cinematography that took our breaths away in 2019. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question. Also, click on the banners to be taken to the full reviews.

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Haunting hallways to nowhere, car chases on the Moon, all of it spectacular

Directed by – James Gray
Cinematography by – Hoyte Van Hoytema            

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

An explosive film, shot to the retinas in nearly every frame.  

Directed by – Michael Dougherty
Cinematography by – Lawrence Sher

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

Ballerinas dance in and out of the light as assassins move in the darkness.  

Directed by – Chad Stahelski
Cinematography by – Dan Laustsen

Knives Out

Who is that sitting in the background waiting to make a scene?

Directed by – Rian Johnson
Cinematography by – Steve Yedlin

Pain and Glory (Dolor y Gloria)

It is the moment of quiet stillness that this film shows its true power

Directed by – Pedro Almodóvar
Cinematography by – José Luis Alcaine

Parasite (Gisaengchung, 기생충)

Have you ever made a peach look menacing because Hong Kyung-pyo and Bong Joon-ho did

Directed by – Bong Joon-ho
Cinematography by – Hong Kyung-pyo

The Farewell (Bié Gàosù Tā, 別告訴她)

A look that looks past the screen and into my soul.

Directed by – Lulu Wang
Cinematography by – Anna Franquesa Solano

Weathering with You (Tenki no Ko, 天気の子)

Moments of sheer beauty that it is almost hard to comprehend.  

Directed by – Makoto Shinkai
Cinematography by – Ryôsuke Tsuda

And the Winner is!!!!!

I openly admit that I was not a fan of Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ story (though it works better on a second viewing). However, nothing, and I mean nothing can take away from just how gosh darn beautiful this film is. It is a film about giant monsters fighting each other over the ruins of the Earth and every frame is a painting. People audibly gasped when Mothra was revealed in all her beauty and it was deserved.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

What are your favourite cinematic moments from 2019?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images used were created by the respective studio and artist of each film